


Beautiful Distraction

by MovesLikeBucky



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-10-22 02:14:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17654096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MovesLikeBucky/pseuds/MovesLikeBucky
Summary: The heat and humidity in Lemoyne is frustrating.  So is laundry.  So are emotions.  The burgeoning feelings you have for the widow from Colter are making chores difficult.





	Beautiful Distraction

If there was one thing in this world you hated, it was the humidity of the swamp.  If there was one thing you hated more than that, it was laundry.  It was your turn on washing duty, the least favorite of the long list of chores that were not your favorite.  The washboard scratched up your fingers and staying on your knees made your back hurt.  But fair was fair, and it was your turn in rotation.

You’d been with the gang a few months, it wasn’t your first choice.  Troubles you’d rather not revisit meant this was the safest place for you.  Safety in numbers and all that. 

If you’d had it your way, you’d be doing some of the harder work.  Feeding the horses or chopping the firewood.  You had tended to fields, fed the pigs, gotten dirty for most of your life. If there’s one thing ol’ Grimshaw hated it was dirty.

Then Sadie had shown up, back in Colter, all sadness and heartbreak.  You’d felt for her then, tried to be a friend along with the other girls.  Figured she’d be gone when you got to Valentine, but she stuck around.  Y’all got on like a house on fire; two farm girls in a world of gangsters.  For her, it was revenge.  For you, it was survival.  Tough world out there for a girl with no one to provide. 

You understood the need for the gang to lay low, but of all places, why Lemoyne?  You thought you’d left this place far behind, after what the raiders had done to your parents’ farm.  But here you were again.  In the swamp and the stickiness, the humidity making your heavy skirt cling to you as you did the washing.  Sweat rolling down your neck but finding no breeze for relief; only adding to the general discomfort of the current times.

This morning Sadie had threatened to murder Pearson over the crap chores she had to do.  Arthur had taken her into town with him so she could have some space and, frankly, that made the day kind of boring.  You spent most of your time together, doing the chores the other ladies didn’t want to. It was easier to pass the time with a kindred spirit.  Something about Sadie just made you happier, when she wasn’t in camp you’d find yourself back on edge again.

You related to her in ways you couldn’t relate to anyone else in camp.  Y’all _understood_ each other.  Understood what it was like to lose people, what it was like to work for a living.  You liked her.  Maybe a little _too_ much.

For years you’d been aware of your inclinations towards women over men.  At first, you’d thought it was from a place of jealousy.  This girl’s hair was so pretty and looked so soft; or this girl had the prettiest green eyes you’d ever seen and yours were no match for their depth. One woman’s breasts were nicer, or maybe her voice was softer.  They were always compared to yourself, without you realizing you weren’t actually jealous at all.  Attempts to date men were lackluster at best.  You just couldn’t see what the big draw was.  Men were coarse and mean, you could count the number of decent ones you’d met on one hand.

Things changed during your twenties.  Some drunks in a saloon had offered you and a friend 30 bucks to make out.  Flat broke and desperate for food, you did.  That’s when you realized that lust and attraction were supposed to have sparks, that those things you’d called jealousy were admiration.  You wanted to be the one running your fingers through that pretty and soft hair or staring into those deep green eyes of an old friend or hearing a soft gentle voice whispering in your ear.

Sadie was just something else.  The honey blonde hair, the quick and easy laugh, that low country drawl hardened by years of hard work.  You’d never met a woman like her, and you were pretty sure you never would again. But these things were still frowned upon, and with her being a widow you were sure she could never feel the same. These had been the thoughts swirling amid your frustrations.  The culmination of the heat, the sweat, this place, Grimshaw’s griping, and your unrequited feelings had brewed up the perfect storm.

When you saw Sadie come sauntering back into camp, you felt an even deeper pang of frustration.  And saunter was the word for it, she’d gotten some new duds in Rhodes and you couldn’t help but stare.  She had her pistol belts swung down low on her hips, her cloud of blonde hair pulled back messily with her wide hat brim covering her eyes.  She looked like a hero from the Saint Denis picture shows and you completely lost focus on the washing.  You sat there staring, not moving, not daring to.

Now you were certain you’d never meet anyone like her again. The pure audacity she had to have to do that, in this camp full of outlaws.  To step up and say _Nah, screw you guys and your ‘woman’s work’, I’m gonna be one of you or damn you all to hell_ ; without actually saying a word at all.  And now she was walking towards you, and you couldn’t even speak. It was like being caught in the crosshairs.

She flicked the brim of her hat up and turned one corner of her mouth into a mischievous grin as she approached you, “Whatcha think, Y/N?  Pretty spiffy huh?”  She spun around posing, waiting for your opinion.

“You…you look amazing, Sadie,” you stammered out.  She was beautiful; absolutely stunning in fully being herself for the first time since you met her in Colter.

“As long as I look like someone oughta take me seriously,” she laughed as she sat on the ground next to you, propping herself up with her arms behind her back.  Her shoulder was uncomfortably close to yours, making any concentration impossible. “I swear, Y/N, these fellas don’t know nothin’.  Think if you’re a woman all you’re good for is cookin’ and cleanin’.  Grimshaw don’t help none.”

“Everybody’s gotta do their part, I guess,” you say, unable to look away from Sadie’s face.  The setting sun was illuminating the loose hair falling from her messy ponytail, giving her an almost angelic glow.  She was so fierce, like a wildfire.  In quiet moments like these, the bravado faded.  You could see _her_. The softness in her eyes, holding back the hurt she still felt at the loss of her husband.  The small smile in the corners of her lips, hinting at happy memories being recalled.  The faint flush on her cheeks, highlighting the smattering of freckles from her time outside in the sun.  She could tell you so much without saying a word, without even knowing she was telling you at all.

Her eyes always drew you in, bright and hazel, warm like the sun.  They practically glittered when she was happy, and you loved seeing that.  Like you were seeing it just then.

“You alive in there, Y/N?  You’re awfully quiet, and you been starin’ at me for a while.”

Shit.  Busted. You were so caught up you hadn’t noticed she’d been looking right back at you.  It was strange for you to be at a loss for words, and yet here you were.

“Sorry, Sadie, I guess I was just caught up,” you smile at her apologetically, she just laughs.

“So, tell me honestly, cuz your opinion is the one I care about most here,” she says as she leans in closer to whisper, “Do I actually look cool, or do I look like I’m tryin’ too hard?”

“You’re beautiful, Sadie,” you say almost breathlessly before you can stop yourself.  She’s only inches from your face, your mind is in a haze unable to think clearly.

“Ya really think so, Y/N?” she says softly, leaning in even closer.

“Y-Yes…” you stammer, “I’ve always thought so.”  You can feel the heat rise to your cheeks. This is a new situation, a completely different Sadie than the one that left camp this morning.

“Glad to hear it,” she said as she stared deep into your eyes.  You felt vulnerable, almost naked.  Like she could read your innermost thoughts.

Before you could register what was happening, you felt her hand on your chin as she captured your lips in a surprisingly soft kiss. You were frozen, too shocked to react. You still couldn’t quite believe it had happened as she pulled away, smirking.

“I’ll see ya around, Y/N,” she said as she stood to leave. She tipped her hat and walked away towards the tent she shared with Karen, spurs jingling with each step. All you could do was stare.

“I don’t mean to pry,” a voice from behind you said after a couple of minutes. You turned to see Charles working on a wood carving near the fire; you hadn’t known anyone else was nearby.  “If I were you,” he said, “I would go after her.”

That snapped you out of it.  Washing abandoned, you set off in search of Sadie.

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first attempt at a Reader fic and my first attempt at a Red Dead Redemption fic!
> 
> I might continue this on, I might not, it's just a little idea that popped in my head today and wouldn't leave until I wrote it down!
> 
> Thanks for reading! :D


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